Ep 5. Maxwell Smart, Private Eye

Maxwell Smart, Private Eye is the fifth episode of season 3 of the classic spy comedy series, Get Smart, Originally airing on October 16th, 1967. The episode finds hapless secret agent, Maxwell Smart, going undercover as a private detective to investigate a string of robberies plaguing the city.

When the episode begins, Max is lamenting to his boss, the Chief, that he's tired of being known as a spy and wants to try something new. The Chief then gives Max a new assignment - to investigate a series of high-stakes robberies at a number of wealthy homes in the area. Disguised as Private Detective, Niles Pinkerton, Smart begins a stakeout at the next possible target house.

Things go from bad to worse as Max continually bungles his investigation in the Pinkerton disguise and arouses the suspicion of the homeowners, the notoriously difficult Tarkingtons. Eventually, his cover is blown and he's thrown out of the house by Mrs. Tarkington who, in spectacular comedic fashion, also tosses Max's shoes out the door as well.

Undeterred, Max continues his investigation using a variety of outrageous disguises to try to get to the bottom of the mystery. His investigation leads him to jeweler, Caleb Wonton, who seems to know something about the robberies. But when Max arrives at his shop in another distinctive disguise, he discovers that Wonton is dead.

Determined to get to the bottom of things, Max enlists the help of his old colleagues at CONTROL, Agent 99 and Agent 34, who also happen to be working on the same case. The trio of spies go undercover as Wonton's employees to investigate his murder and the burglaries. Eventually, their investigation leads them to the true mastermind behind the crimes, a villain known only as the Apricot.

The climax of the episode features a classic sequence in which Max and 99 sneak into the Apricot's headquarters, a seemingly empty warehouse. As they skulk around, looking for clues, they set off a series of increasingly ridiculous booby traps that would be right at home in a Wile E. Coyote cartoon. In the end, Max prevails in capturing the Apricot, winning the gratitude of the grateful homeowners and proving he's no mere run-of-the-mill spy.

Maxwell Smart, Private Eye is a perfect example of the kind of madcap comedic spy hijinks that Get Smart was known for. The episode features a strong script with plenty of witty dialogue, hilarious visual gags, and memorable characters. It's a delightful reminder of why the show remains a beloved classic, even more than half a century after it first aired.